Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



Patented July 31,1877.

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JZZZIZ N-FETERS, FHOT Patented July 31, 1877.

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' said'shoe.

crum. :dis the hammer. g isthelever ofthe PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FARQUHARSON, OF BLAIRGOWIRIE, NORTH BRITAIN, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE GIBBS, THOMAS PITT,

BRISTOL, ENGLAND AND WILLIAM ELLIS METFORD, OF

IM PRO- VEME'INT I'N PBIREE'QH-LOADI NG Fl RE-ARMS.

Sp'ecification formiug partIofILetters :Ratent No. 193,759, dated-July 31, 1877; application filed 7 June 28, 1877.

Tozaltwlwm'itmayconcern Beiit known that 1, JOHN EARQUHARSON,

of Blairgowrie, I'North IBritain,I 'havIe invented new and useful Improvements 1in Breech- Loading Fire-Arms, which improvements are fu'llyisetii'orth Lin the :following specification,

reference being had to *the accompanying drawings.

said invention has reference to certain I improvements in the construction andearran ge- I ment of the parts of the action of :that class of breech-loading lrifles or small firearms, which have thebre'ech-block worked up and down in :a central vertical 'slot in the breech casabox, or shoe by a hand-Ilever,-fitting close, I and ibroughtclose up to orpushed down from :the under side of the :triggerguard.

The said improvements are designed to permit a greater and :more uniform application of powcr t0 the working of the arm, with greater easerand comfort to the I operator, I and I with greater certainty and efficiency ofIac' out th'e drawings.

a is the breech shoe orbox. is the-breechblockywhich slides vertically in theslot in the o is the main "lever, and 1: its fulsame. f-is the trigger, andg the triggeraplate.

The remaining parts -are hereinafter described.

the main lever-0.

The hammer d, thetumbler h, and'mai nsprin g i are fitted and work :iIn acentrafl longitudinal recess or cavity in the said triggerplate.

lhe mainspring is I1 secured :at its rear end in the said trigger=plate,as shownat '5 its I lever c. llikeiletters-indicate the same parts-through- I upper arm or limbii is conuectedto thetumbler h by the stirrup j.

The said tumbler has cocking-notches formed in it at 1 2.

independent trigger-spring if desired.

.A central projection or feather, b ,is formed on theIbackIofthebreech-block b, and is fitted to work freely up and down in the verticalgroove or channel ain the breech-shoe, so

that the nipple b and firing-pin or needleb may be properly presented to the hammer-d.

A very'important feature of the sa'idinvention is the mechanism wherebythe manipulation of rthe'main lever is caused to effect the,

movement or action of thelhaminer, the firingpinythe breech-block, and the cartridge-extractor inthe peculiar manner hereinafter (lescrihed-thatis to say by pullingdown the said main lever. Thecommencementof the cocking or setting back of the said hammer and the retracting of the firing-pin takes place slightly in advance of the slidingdown of the breech-block; but these movements, and the movement of the cartridge-extractor are effected by the same movement of the main The operation of the hammer by'the said mainlever is effected through the medium of the-Icocking-bar l, whichisconnected with the said lever at 0*, and bears against the hammer at 1 as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the said lever. is pulled-down its part'c 'pushes the' said cooking-barand hammer backward. The connection ofthe cocking-bar Z with=the part 0* of the lever 0 may be made by the notoh l and the hook or stud c 01' bya pin-joint. The end of the said cocking-bar which acts on the ham meris preferably forked,

as shownIat P, Fig. 5, to embrace the reduced portion ofthe hammer below the-shoulder clfi and the said cockingbar has a longitudinal slot oraperture,l .,f0r the passage of the'loose arm-orlink that operates -the'breech block, -as

hereinafter described. If desirable or neces-' sary, the end i of the said cocking-bar may be fitted to work through a suitable guideslot fixed in the breech-frame.

The combination of this cocking-bar with the hammer and main lever may be adopted in fire-arms which have the hammer at one side instead of at the center of the lock. And it is obvious that the cocking-bar I may be connected with the said main lever and hammer below the pivots or fulcrums of the same, so that the said hammer will be drawn, instead of pushed back, by the said cockingbar.

The connection of the breech-block b with the main lever 0 is made by means of the link m, which is pin-jointed at m to the lever c, and projects up through a central slot in the breech-block b, as shown in Fig. 4. The said link has in it an oblique or inclined slot at or, through which passes a pin, a, fixed in the sides of the block b. The said link m is also formed at its upper end with a tongue or ex tension at m which works in a slot in the firing-pin b By this peculiar formation and arrangement of the link m, pin n, and firingpin b and their combination with the main lever c, the said link has a slight amount of lost motion (corresponding with the length of its slot) at the commencement of the pulling down or dropping of the main lever, so that before the top of the said slot begins to.act on the pin it and pull down the breech-block, the hammer is slightly pushed back and the firingpin 12 is retracted or drawn back by the action of the tongue or projection m on the said firing-pin. By this device I obviate the necessity for a spring for retracting the firingpin. In Fig. 2 the form of the link m, and the arrangement of the pin it are slightly modified, but the action of these parts is substantially the same as above described.

,Another peculiar feature of my said invention is the device for extracting or ejecting the empty or exploded cartridge-shells. The chief peculiarity of the action of this extractor is its differential movement-tl1at is to say, its slow and powerful action, whereby it starts the exploded shell from the barrel when the breech-block is drawn down,and its quick action at the termination of its movement, whereby the said cartridge-shell is jerked or thrown from the arm, and it must be observed that the action of the said extractor is obtained without the use of springs.

To carry into effect this part of my said invention, I construct the extractor 0 with a forked upper end, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and of the proper form and size to take hold of a cartridge. This extractor 0 has its fulcrum on the pin 0 secured in the frame of the sole-plate, which carries the lock.

In combination with this extractor I arrange the small arm 1), which is suspended and works freely on the pin 10 secured in the said sole trigger-plate at the front of the said extractor, as shown in Fig. 1. This arm 12 is arranged in the proper position for its free end to be pushed forward by the projection or nose 0 on the main lever c, at the moment when the breech-block is drawn down clear of the cartridge. The said arm has its surface 19", which acts on the extractor, curved or beveled or notched, as shown in Fig. 4.; and the said arm is soarranged in relation to the extractor that this curved surface 19 first acts on the latter with its part 1, which, being a considerable distance from the fulcrum of the extractor, exerts thereon, for a brief space of time, a correspondingly slow and powerful action, which could not be resisted by a cartridge-shell, however tightly the latter might be bound in the barrel by the explosion; but the movement of the extractor by the change of the relative positions of the same, and the arm p, as the point 2 of the latter approaches the said extractor, is accelerated, and then terminates in a jerk, which effectually expels from the breech the already partly-withdrawn cartridge-shell.

By referring to the drawings, and to the above description of my invention, it will be obvious that, by pushing up the main lever into the position shown in Fig. 2, the breechblock b will be closed, while the hammer d is left at full cock; and the said hammer may also be cocked in usual manner by means of the hammer-lever c.

A lever, q, works on a screw-pin or other suitable fulcrum, at q. The said lever has a projection or nose at q, and this projection is so formed and arranged in relation to the lever e that when the lever q is turned it will act as a stop to the lever e and hammer d, so that the latter cannot possibly strike the firing-pin.

This locking-lever or snap device may, if desired, be modified to act directly upon the hammer by extending from the lever q, and through the breech-frame, a spindle with a square portion, whereon is fitted a tongue or arm in the proper position to be adjusted or set to meet the .said hammer, and arrest its forward movement.

Another of my improvements consists in the employment of a safety sliding bolt, 1, at the side of the breech, as shown in Fig.3. This bolt is fitted to slide in a groove or channel formed in the side of the trigger-guard, and is provided with a knob or button, 1' for convenience of manipulation.

The main lever c has a small recess or socket at W, and when the said bolt is pushed forward its extremity enters this socket, and thereby locks the main lever, so that it cannot be accidentally pulled down.

The trigger has on it a small stud or projection, f, which, when the bolt 1' is in the above-described position, comes in contact with the part r of the said bolt, and thereby locks and prevents the accidental pulling of the said trigger.

This device is chiefly designed for fire-arms to be used for sporting purposes.

It will be observed that the cheeks at the sides of the breech-shoe are so formed that their edges a overlap the wood of the stock, and thereby compress or bind the same, and

" prevent its separation or flying apart from g the efl'ects of any gas that might enter the cavity of the stock or otherwise.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of parts consisting of the main lever 0, connected to the breechblock b by a slotted lever, m, provided with a tongue or extension, m on its upper end, working in a slot in the firing-pin, to retract the same after having been forced forward by the hammer, as set forth.

2. The combination of the parts comprising the main lever a, link m, breech-block b, firing-pin b cocking-bar l, and. hammer d, constructed and arranged relatively to each other, substantially as shown, and so that, by the pulling down of the lever 12, the required movements, in the peculiar order specified,

are imparted to the hammer d, the firing-pin b and the breech-block b, as above set forth.

3. The extractor 0, and the suspended arm 1), or its equivalent, formed, constructed, and arranged in combination with each other and with the projection or nose 0 on the main lever 0, so that the action or movement of the said lever produces the peculiar movement of the said extractor for extracting the cartridges, substantially as above set forth.

4. The sliding safety-bolt 1', arranged and operating in combination with the main lever c and with the trigger f, substantially as above set forth, and 'for the purposes specified.

JOHN FARQUHARSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HILL, GEORGE CHARLES GIBBS. 

